


Are You Nobody Too?

by whowhatsitwhich



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Cross-Posted on Tumblr, F/M, Short One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-25
Updated: 2019-05-25
Packaged: 2020-03-14 18:39:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18953503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whowhatsitwhich/pseuds/whowhatsitwhich
Summary: Gendry’s mind went straight to Arya and there it stayed. Surely, there’d been news. That was the only reason for the King to have written himself.  “At the first stall, you will see a man on a bench. Sit down. Ask the man ‘what is west of westeros’. If he answers, you may find what you seek. If he does not, you will find no one."





	Are You Nobody Too?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [jeeno2](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jeeno2/gifts).



 

 _How dreary to be somebody!_  
How public, like a frog  
To tell your name the livelong day  
To an admiring bog! ~Emily Dickenson

Dark wings, dark words or so went the old byword of any unexpected missive that came by raven. This one preceded the heaviest storm to hit Stormbreaker Bay in years. It was the third year of summer and thus far, the squalls rolling in were nothing of note. This storm had been brewing for days with ominous clouds bruising the horizon and thunder muttering in the distance. Long time residents kept one eye on the sky and a prayer to the Seven on their lips as they made their way about the castle. 

Maester Jurne glided into the smithy and waited until Gendry acknowledged him before handing off the scroll. “It’s from the king,” he intoned.

Gendry would have known that from the quartered raven/direwolf seal but he nodded and waved the maester out before breaking the wax with his thumb. It was the first communication he’d received from a Stark since the Citadel called an end to the long winter. Lady Sansa sent word by Maester Wulkan here and there whenever a matter arose that she felt needed his personal attention. Jon Snow hadn’t been heard from since he went North with Tormund and the rest of the Free Folk. And Arya…he didn’t know where Arya was or even if she was still alive. He didn’t know if she ever planned to return. He didn’t know if she ever thought of him.

 King Bran rarely took a direct hand in matters, leaving the day to day to his counsel. Had this been from Tyrion, it would have born the hand in red wax rather than the quartered gray seal. Gendry’s mind went straight to Arya and there it stayed. Surely, there’d been news. That was the only reason for the King to have written himself. 

“Your presence is required in Braavos. From Ragman’s Harbor, turn on to Ragman’s Lane. At the first stall, you will see a man on a bench. Sit down. Ask the man ‘what is west of westeros’. If he answers, you may find what you seek. If he does not, you will find no one.” 

His heart in his throat, Gendry shrugged into his coat and ran to find Davos. The old smuggler would help him arrange the swiftest passage possible to Essos. There was no time to waste. 

* * *

A ragged boy pushing an oyster cart led him to Ragman’s Lane for a silver. He spoke the Common Tongue and laughed at Gendry’s dismayed expression when the boy offered him an oyster. Not wishing to be rude, Gendry took the shell in hand and let the boy pour a small bit of vinegar over the meat before swallowing it. Brine and a sharp, sour tang followed by sweetness exploded on his tongue. He shrugged aside the boy’s amusement and requested another half dozen. The boy quickly obliged, palming another silver for the meal. 

“You want me to take you back when you’re done?” 

Gendry hesitated before nodding, well aware that he’d never navigate the tangled warren on his own. “Don’t let me keep you from your custom. Just come by this way when you’re through and you can take me back to the harbor. I’m not going far.” His gaze swept the lane, marking out the stalls and scattered seating. The first one, the note had said, and a bench just outside. A bench and a man. He saw tables and an intricately carved fountain with a wide coping; broad slabs of weathered stone carved with runes and figures. It was on one such that a dark haired man perched, smooth cheeked and hawk nosed, with his gaze firmly fixed on Gendry. 

It wasn’t a bench but the man was situated at the mouth of the lane with a clear view toward the harbor. Squaring his shoulders, Gendry made his way toward the man, hoping that he wasn’t wrong. His odd amber eyes ran over Gendry and the man smiled, offering a polite nod by way of hello.  “You are new to Braavos, yes? Recently arrived.” 

“My ship just docked today,” Gendry replied. “From Westeros. It’s the longest I’ve ever been on a boat.” 

“A man should try new things,” the stranger observed. “There is much to see and much to do in the wide world.”

Letting out a breath, Gendry decided then and there to ask his question. He had to know. “I always wondered what might lie west of Westeros. Do you know?” 

That brought another thin lipped smile and an approving nod. “A man does not know. Other faces. Other stories. Other names. This is the same the world over be it Essos, Westeros, or some other somewhere.” He waved an errant hand back toward the harbor. “If you would know, you must go back the way you came. There, you will find your answers.” 

Frustration and a futile anger blossomed in Gendry’s stomach as he turned away. All this way and nothing gained but another useless riddle. Go back the way you came. What the hell did that mean? Back to the harbor? Back to Storm’s End? Back to Winterfell, to the far North beyond the wall, to King’s Landing?  

He glanced over his shoulder and felt his jaw hit the cobble stones when he caught sight of a half forgotten face framed by distinctive red/white hair…a face he hadn’t seen since Harrenhal. Jaqen H'ghar…the mysterious ally who’d helped them escape the melted ruin a lifetime ago. The man who smiled at him and then passed his hand over his face….becoming the dark haired stranger once more. Gendry’s guide hurried up, pushing an empty cart, and chirped that he’d never sold out so quickly. 

“You’ve brought me luck,” the boy bounced on his toes. “I have time to go get another load. Come, sir, let’s go back to your ship. Brusco will be surprised that I am done so quickly. He’s sure to let me come out again.” 

“I’ll take another half dozen before I leave,” Gendry told him as he followed the boy through the crowd. “And there’s another silver in it for you for your help.” He wished he could share the lad’s excitement but that was impossible. He’d come all this way but had nothing to show for it. He couldn’t help but wonder why Bran had sent him on this wild goose chase. He supposed that he’d never know. 

* * *

The West Wind was not yet ready to sail when they made it back to Ragman’s Harbor. Boxes were being brought on board by the crew while the captain made notations in a thick leather book. “You’re back,” Captain Terys noted. “Much sooner than this one thought. You were not successful?”

“No,” Gendry admitted. “I guess I came a long way for nothing.” 

“Not nothing,” Ternesio Terys admonished. “You have seen more of the world. You have tasted the delights of Braavos if only for a short time. You have made a friend.” Turning his attention back to his book, the old man made a few more marks on the page. “We will be leaving soon so best you finish your business quickly, my lord.” 

Remembering that he’d asked for another half dozen oysters, Gendry pulled another silver from his pocket and proffered it to the boy. “Can you be back before the ship casts off? If not, keep the silver as a token of my thanks.” 

“I can be back,” the boy assured him. “Terys is a slow twat for all his talk.” He lifted the cart and headed out but then took a minute to look back at the Westerosi lord. “What were you looking for?” 

Gendry laughed softly. “An old friend. Someone I…” His voice faded away. “No one. I was looking for no one.” 

When he looked up again, she was there. Standing an arm’s reach away, wearing the boy’s tattered clothes and a faltering smile. “Someone or no one?” She stepped closer, those gray eyes that haunted his dreams most nights fixed on his face. “What were you looking for?” 

“You.” He took two quick steps and swept her into a tight embrace, burying his nose in her hair. She smelled of salt and sweat and her. Her. Arya. In his arms, her hands clutching his back and her voice murmuring his name over and over as he drew her in. “I was looking for you.” 

“Well…you found me. Now what will you do with me?” 

Gendry chuckled despite his suddenly burning eyes. “I’m going to take you home.” 


End file.
